Instant Food Package

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an instant food package, and an instant food package is provided which includes an instant food cooked by hot liquid, a heat-resistant container holding the instant food inside and having an opening on one side, and a stopper coupled to the opening and configured to allow the opening and closing of the opening, where the instant food moves in correlation with the flow of the liquid and is consumed while poured out through the opening in an opened state, and the liquid is prevented by the stop-per in a closed state from spilling out of the container when it is turned or shaken. Turning or shaking the container may facilitate the heat transfer by convention between the instant food and the hot liquid, to reduce the cooking time. The present invention contains noodles of limited lengths, so that a user may consume the cooked noodles by gulping the broth like a drink a mouthful at a time without using a separate eating utensil (chopsticks, spoon, and fork), so that the consumption of the instant food is made easy for foreigners, the handicapped, or patients, who cannot use an eating utensil with ease.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an instant food package.

BACKGROUND ART

The demand for instant food is continuously increasing, since it reduces the time spent on cooking for the busy people of modern times. Where the instant food is instant noodles in the form of noodles in a pouch or noodles in a bowl, the buoyancy generated as the hot liquid rises in the convection process causes the instant noodles to generally rise, whereby the upper portions of the noodles are put in contact with the atmosphere and the lower portions of the noodles are put in contact with the hot liquid, so that the noodles are cooked beginning from the lower portions.

Thus, with conventional instant noodles, there is the inconvenience of having to turn the upper and portions of the noodles using chopsticks while cooking, in order to cook the noodles uniformly and reduce the cooking time.

Also, as a separate eating utensil, such as a pair of chopsticks, a fork, or a spoon, etc., is required to separate the solid pieces of the cooked instant food from the hot liquid broth for consumption, there is the inconvenience of having to carry a separate eating utensil together with the conventional instant food package, and the consumption of the instant food may be a difficulty for foreigners, the handicapped, or patients, who are not adept at using a particular eating utensil.

Related art on instant noodles, a type of instant food, has been disclosed, including the manufacture of functional noodles having green tea, rice, fish, and tofu, etc., added and mixed in (Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-1989-0015568, 10-1993-0006029, 10-1994-0016679, 10-1997-0063573, and 10-2005-0108381), and the average length of the above patents' or a typical noodle is about 40˜70 cm, which allows easy immediate consumption when using chopsticks, but when a fork is used, there is the inconvenience that the noodles have to be wound repeatedly around the fork to prevent the noodles from slipping.

Also, since the liquid broth of the instant food may leak to the outside to be in contact with clothing, etc., when the instant food is carried or moved, a user cannot consume the instant food containing broth in a safe and easy manner while moving.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

An aspect of the present invention provides an instant food package which allows easy consumption and reduced cooking time.

Also, another aspect of the present invention provides an instant food package that allows easy carrying.

Technical Solution

One aspect of the present invention provides an instant food package which includes an instant food cooked by hot liquid, a heat-resistant container holding the instant food inside and having an opening on one side, and a stopper coupled to the opening and configured to allow the opening and closing of the opening, where the instant food moves in correlation with the flow of the liquid and is consumed while poured out through the opening in an opened state, and the liquid is prevented by the stopper in a closed state from spilling out of the container when it is turned or shaken. Turning or shaking the container may facilitate the heat transfer by convention between the instant food and the hot liquid, to reduce the cooking time.

The instant food may include various broth-type foods, such as oden, flour cake broth, rice cake broth, bone and beef stew, spicy stew, meat broth, vegetable broth, green vegetable broth, bean paste broth, and broth rice, etc., or instant noodles, that include liquid broth and solid pieces, where the instant noodles may be any one selected from a group consisting of ramen, udon, Chinese noodles, and wheat flour noodles.

When the instant food is selected from an instant noodle group consisting of ramen, udon, Chinese noodles, and wheat flour noodles, the length of the instant noodles may be 0.1 cm to 5 cm or lower, to allow easy consumption directly through the opening by the user by tilting the container.

To limit the viscosity of the broth for better flow of the instant noodles, the weight of the instant noodles having lengths from 1 cm to 5 cm or lower may be 90 weight % or more of the total weight of the instant noodles.

So that the user may hold and carry the instant food package and consume the instant food readily with one hand, the container may be formed in the shape of an elongated bottle or a pack in which the length is greater than the width, and on the outer surface of the container, an insulation layer may further be included for blocking the heat transferred from the hot liquid.

A heat-shrinking film may be equipped on the outer surface of the container or the stopper, that is shrunk by the heat of the liquid to or below a predetermined length corresponding to the cooking completion time of the instant food.

So that the hot liquid or additives such as flavoring, etc., may readily be inserted into the container, the stopper may be detachably coupled to the opening in a screw type configuration, and when a straw is further included for sucking in the instant food or the broth formed by the liquid, the instant food remaining on the inner walls of the container may readily be consumed using the straw.

A catching member coupled to the opening or the stopper may further be included that closes a portion of the opening, where the catching member and the stopper may form a holding space, and the instant food may be caught on the catching member as the liquid having the instant food mixed in enters the holding space, so that the user may selectively consume only that which is caught on the catching member, that is, the instant food separated from the broth.

A catching groove, for holding the instant food by a predetermined volume suitable for a single instance of consumption, or a catching shelf, for allowing the instant food entering the holding space to be readily caught, may be formed on the catching member. An inclination portion that provides a decreased flow resistance to the liquid may be formed on the catching member, so that the liquid having the instant food mixed in may readily be drawn into the holding space.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

As described above, with an instant food package according to a certain aspect of the present invention, a user may consume an instant food mixed in a liquid broth by gulping it as a drink or by using a catching member coupled to the container packaging the instant food to separate the solid foods from the liquid broth, just as in the case of using a conventional eating utensil such as chopsticks, a fork, or a spoon, etc., so that the consumption of the instant food is made easy for foreigners, the handicapped, or patients, who cannot use an eating utensil with ease.

Also, since the instant food is held inside a container having a shape that is easy for a user to hold with one hand, and the opening on one side of the container is coupled and sealed with a stopper, the liquid broth inside the container is not leaked to the outside for improved portability, whereby a user may readily consume the instant food while moving.

In addition, when the instant food is instant noodles, the noodles of short length may be reused, which are regarded as loss in conventional instant noodle manufacturing processes, to provide the economical benefit of reducing losses in materials.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an instant food package according to a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of an instant food package according to a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the convention situation inside an instant food package according to a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention, turned upside down.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package according to a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention, in a tilted state.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package having a built-in flavoring package according to a second disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an instant food package according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an assembled cross-sectional view of an instant food package according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention, turned upside down after the instant food has been cooked.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of instant food caught on a catching part according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention, in a tilted state.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an instant food package of a pack form according to a fourth disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS FOR KEY ELEMENTS

-   100: stopper -   200: flavoring package -   300: opening -   400: bottle -   500: instant noodle

MODE FOR INVENTION

Embodiments of the instant food package according to certain aspects of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which those components are rendered the same reference numeral that are the same or are in correspondence, regardless of the figure number, and redundant explanations are omitted.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an instant food package according to a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, an instant food package according to the first disclosed embodiment is composed of a heat-resistant bottle 400 having an opening 300 on one side, instant noodles 500 held inside the bottle 400, a flavoring package 200, and a stopper 100 coupled such that the opening 300 is sealed.

The instant noodles 500 may be wave-treated noodles, and are cooked by heat transfer with the hot liquid inserted through the opening 300 of the bottle 400. The instant noodles 500 may advantageously be manufactured to have lengths from 0.1 cm to 5 cm or lower, or even more advantageously lengths from 0.1 cm to 3 cm, so that the heat transfer due to the convection of the liquid is made easy and so that the cooked instant noodles 500 may readily be consumed as a drink one mouthful at a time.

The flavoring package 200 may be attached to one side of the bottle 400 or the stopper 100 or held inside the bottle 400, and additives such as dried meats and vegetables, condiments, etc., are contained in the flavoring package 200.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 2, an instant food package according to the first disclosed embodiment is sealed as the protrusion 410 formed around the opening 300 of the bottle 400 and the groove 111 (FIG. 3) formed in the stopper 100 are coupled in a screw type configuration. Since cold outside air is not drawn inside the bottle 400 by the seeping out of vapor created from the hot liquid, there is less heat loss compared to the conventional container noodles, in which a synthetic resin film is used as a covering and the synthetic resin film is attached to the opening 300 by way of adhesive, and easier carrying is enabled, as the liquid broth does not leak to the outside even when the bottle 400 is tilted or turned.

The storage capacity of the bottle 400 may be 300˜1000 ml, such as for the storage capacity of a drink container, so that a user may readily consume the instant food while carrying it and moving.

The bottle 400 is made of a heat-resistant material, hot liquid is inserted inside the bottle 400 through the opening 300, and the instant noodles 500 held inside the bottle 400 is cooked by the heat transfer with the liquid. As the heat of the liquid is transferred through the bottle 400 to the relatively cold outdoor air, the liquid is partially cooled so that there are temperature differences created within the liquid, and the convection phenomenon is created, in which the portions of the liquid having high temperatures rise and the portions having low temperatures descend.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, since the instant noodles 500 manufactured with lengths of 0.1 cm to 5 cm or lower, unlike the conventional pouch noodles or container noodles manufactured with lengths of about 40˜70 cm, are readily rotated by themselves in the convection state without being hindered by the length of the noodles such that the upper and lower portions of the noodles are interchanged, the heat transfer with the hot liquid is made easier for a reduced cooking time.

When the bottle 400 is shaken or turned, the heat transfer between the instant noodles 500 and the liquid is further facilitated due to the flow of the liquid, so that the cooking time is further reduced, and since the opening 300 of the bottle 400 is coupled with and sealed by the stopper 100, the liquid broth does not leak to the outside even when the bottle 400 is turned upside down.

Experimental measurements were performed with regards the cooking time of regular container noodles and the instant noodles 500 according to the first disclosed embodiment of the present invention, with the time at which the noodles turn from a solid state of an opaque color to a semitransparent milky-colored gel state and sink to the bottom of the container set as the time point at which the cooking is complete, and the results are that while it takes a maximum of 3 minutes at average for the cooking to be completed for the regular container noodles, it takes a maximum of 2 minutes at average until cooking completion for the instant noodles 500 according to the first disclosed embodiment of the present invention, whereby it is noted that the cooking time of the instant noodles 500 according to the first disclosed embodiment of the present invention has been reduced by over 33% compared to the cooking time of the conventional noodles.

Although it has not been illustrated, a heat-shrinking film may be attached or a heat-sensitive ink may be coated on the outer surface of the bottle 400 or stopper 100, to readily inform the user of the cooking completion time of the instant noodle 500.

The heat-shrinking film is a kind of plastic film and has a tendency to shrink by absorbing heat from the outside, and the heat-sensitive ink is a kind of chemical material inside a thermosetting plastic capsule and has a tendency to change color according to changes in temperature and heat of the outside environment.

The heat-shrinking film or the heat-sensitive ink changes in length or in color according to the passage of cooking time, due to the heat transferred from the hot liquid, while the length of the heat-shrinking film or the color of the heat-sensitive ink that corresponds to the optimal cooking time is marked beforehand on the outer surface of the bottle 400 or stopper 100.

By visually checking whether or not the changing length of the heat-shrinking film or the changing color of the heat-sensitive ink matches the mark, the user can readily be aware of the cooking completion time of the instant noodles 500.

Although it has not been illustrated, an insulation layer may be equipped on the part of the bottle gripped by the hand for blocking the heat of the hot liquid, so that the bottle 400 containing hot liquid may readily be shaken or turned for cooking or readily be carried and moved.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package according to the first disclosed embodiment of the present invention, in a tilted state.

So that the cooked instant noodles 500 and broth may readily be consumed by gulping them down as with a drink, the viscosity of the broth containing the instant noodles 500 may be maintained to allow easy flowing.

When the main ingredient of the instant noodle 500 is starch, a transparent or milky-colored colloid solution having a very high viscosity is formed as the starch particles of the instant noodles 500 react to the water and the heat to become hydrated and swollen.

Since the hydration and swelling phenomena are proportional to the specific surface area of the starch, the more there are of the particles that are 1 mm or less, the greater the specific surface area, so that the reaction is accelerated, and the gel particles high in viscosity are increased for a decrease in the overall flow property.

In order to improve the flow of the broth by including less of the particles, the instant noodles 500 having lengths of 1 cm to 5 cm or lower may be included such that their weight is 90 weight % or higher of the total weight of the instant noodles 500.

Also, an inclination portion may be formed around the opening 300 of the bottle 400 so that the flow resistance of the broth is reduced, and depending on the preferences of the user, the cooked instant noodles 500 and the broth may be consumed after adjusting their temperatures by adding ice or cold water.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an instant food package having a built-in flavoring package 200 according to a second disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

The additives, such as dried meats and vegetables and condiments, etc., included inside the flavoring package 200 may be mixed in and held together with the instant noodles 500 inside the bottle 400, and may be treated with condiments during the manufacture of the instant noodles 500. The flavoring package 200 may be in the form of solid pieces, powder, or liquid flavoring, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the groove 111 of the lower stopper 110 is coupled with the protrusion 410 of the opening 300, while the protrusion 112 of the lower stopper 110 is coupled with the groove 122 of the upper stopper 120, and flavoring additives or the flavoring package 200 may be held in the space between the lower stopper 110 and the upper stopper 120.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 7, an instant food package according to a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention is composed of a heat-resistant bottle 400 having an opening 300 on one side, instant noodles 500 held inside the bottle 400, a first stopper 130 having an open-hole 133 on one side facing the opening 300 and having a groove 103 that couples with the protrusion 410 of the opening 300, a second stopper 140 that has a groove 141 corresponding with the protrusion 131 of the first stopper 130 to be detachably coupled with the first stopper 130 for sealing, and a catching member 600, which couples with the bottle 400 or the first stopper 130 to partially close the opening 300, and on which the instant noodles 500 that pass through the opening 300 and opening-hole 640 are caught.

Since one side of the first stopper 130 is coupled and connected with one side of the second stopper 140 by the connection member 135, the second stopper 140 is prevented from being lost when the user opens or closes the opening 300.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 9, the catching member 600 and the first and second stoppers 130, 140 form a predetermined space, and when the bottle 400 is turned upside down after the opening 300 of the bottle 400 containing the broth and the instant noodles 500 for which the cooking has been completed is sealed by coupling the second stopper 140, the broth containing the instant noodles 500 passes through the opening 300 and opening-hole 640 (FIG. 6) and flows into the predetermined space.

On one side of the catching member 600, there may be an inclination portion 610 having a shape that reduces flow resistance when the broth containing the instant noodles 500 flows into the predetermined space.

Since the catching member 600 closes a portion of the opening 300, when the bottle 400 turned upside down recovers its position, the instant noodles 500 are caught on the catching member 600 in a predetermined amount that allows an easy single instance of consumption for a user, with the broth containing the remaining instant noodles 500 flowing to the lower part of the bottle 400.

A catching groove 630 may be included in the catching member 600 in correspondence with the predetermined amount, and a catching shelf 620 may be formed on one side of the catching member 600 that protrudes out so that the instant noodles 500 are readily caught on it.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, when a user tilts the bottle 400 after separating the second stopper 140 from the first stopper 130, in order to consume the instant noodles 500 caught on the catching member 600, the predetermined amount of instant noodles 500 caught on the catching member 600 passes through the open-hole 133 (FIG. 6) and flows into the mouth of the user.

When the bottle 400 is tilted, the instant noodles 500 and broth held in the lower part of the bottle 400 are stopped by the catching member 600 and do not flow into the mouth of the user, so that the user may readily consume the instant noodles 500 separated from the broth selectively in only the predetermined amount.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an instant food package of a pack form according to a fourth disclosed embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 11, an there is an opening 300 included on one side of the pack 700, the opening 300 is coupled and sealed with a first stopper 130, and one side of the first stopper 130 is coupled and connected with one side of a second stopper 140 by a connection member 135.

The pack 700 is made of a flexible material such as synthetic resin or paper, etc., so that when it is held and carried in a bag, etc., it can be deformed to be suitable for the holding space, whereby the portability is improved. The pack 700 may be formed to have a narrow shape around the opening 300 so that the flow resistance of the broth containing the instant noodles 500 is reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth above, and it is to be appreciated that many variations may be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. An instant food package comprising: an instant food cooked by hot liquid; a heat-resistant container holding the instant food inside and having an opening on one side; and a stopper coupled to the opening and configured to allow the opening and closing of the opening, wherein the instant food moves in correlation with the flow of the liquid and is consumed while poured out through the opening in an opened state, and the liquid is prevented by the stopper in a closed state from spilling out of the container being turned or shaken.
 2. The instant food package of claim 1, wherein the instant food includes one selected from an instant noodle group consisting of ramen, udon, Chinese noodles, and wheat flour noodles.
 3. The instant food package of claim 2, wherein the length of the instant noodle is 0.1 cm to 5 cm or lower.
 4. The instant food package of claim 3, wherein the weight of the instant noodle of a length 1 cm to 5 cm or lower comprises 90 weight % or more of the total weight of the instant noodle.
 5. The instant food package of claim 1, wherein the container is formed in the shape of an elongated bottle or a pack having the length greater than the width.
 6. The instant food package of claim 1, further comprising an insulation layer for gripping on the outer surface of the container.
 7. The instant food package of claim 1, having a heat-shrinking film on the outer surface of the container or the stopper, the heat-shrinking film configured to shrink by means of the heat of the liquid to or below a predetermined length corresponding to the cooking completion time of the instant food.
 8. The instant food package of claim 1, wherein the stopper is detachably coupled to the opening in a screw type configuration.
 9. The instant food package of claim 1, further comprising a straw for sucking in the instant food or the broth formed by the liquid.
 10. The instant food package of claim 1, further comprising a catching member coupled to the opening or the stopper and configured to close a portion of the opening, wherein the catching member and the stopper form a holding space, and the instant food is caught on the catching member as the liquid having the instant food mixed in enters the holding space.
 11. The instant food package of claim 10, wherein a catching groove or a catching shelf is formed on the catching member.
 12. The instant food package of claim 10, wherein an inclination portion is formed on the catching member, the inclination portion having a decreased flow resistance to the liquid. 